


Happy Accident

by K_booklover98



Series: Second Chances [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, But in a good way I swear, Confident Draco Malfoy, Flirting, Good Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger Being a Know-It-All, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Just to be safe, M/M, No War AU, Not Epilogue Compliant, Oblivious Harry Potter, POV Harry Potter, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, broken arm, draco just needs love, harry is really oblivous, its actually kind of sad, its healed pretty quickly, like blindingly so, nothing major, we love friends supporting friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-11 03:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_booklover98/pseuds/K_booklover98
Summary: When Harry causes Draco to break his arm, an unsuspecting friendship begins to bloom.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be a cute little one shot, and honestly I was going to leave it open ended, but then 500 words turned into 3k, and soon this short one shot became a multi-chaptered fic. So, hopefully you'll enjoy it! :)
> 
> Based very loosely on a true story

Harry flew high up in the air, doing little flips and tricks as he soared around on his broomstick. It was well after classes had ended for the day, the sun slowly beginning it’s decent downwards as the moon started to make its appearance. It was quite the warm spring day, and having been in class all day, Harry didn’t want to waste the unnaturally warm weather. So after dinner, he’d rushed up to the common room, grabbed his gear, and ran out to the quidditch pitch. At first he’d thought about inviting Ron along with him, but then decided against it. In times like these it was nice to be off by himself. It helped him to think, clear his mind of all his troubles and worries of the day. He could concentrate on the red orange sky, the puffy clouds above, and evening his breathing as he went in for another intense dive on his broom. There was no snitch to catch, no bludgers to avoid, just him and his broom.

Or so he thought.

“Oi, Potter! What are you doing? Practicing your crash landing?”

Harry abruptly pulled up on his broom to glare down at the blond headed Slytherin below him. Of course Malfoy would follow him out here. “What do you want, Malfoy?”

“Well, considering this is the quidditch pitch, I thought I’d play some quidditch,”

“By yourself?”

“I don’t really need anybody else to help me catch the snitch, now do I?”

“Clearly you do,” Harry muttered under his breath. “In case you haven’t noticed Malfoy, I kind of want to be alone,”

“What? Sick of your adoring fans crowding around you constantly?”

“I didn’t realize you were such a huge fan Malfoy. Don’t tell me you followed me all the way out here to ask for my autograph,”

Malfoy scoffed, but Harry could see a faint blush start to fill his cheeks, even if he was floating several feet up in the air. “As if,”

“Then what do you want? A picture? A lock of my hair? Or maybe one of my old dirty socks?”

“Gross, Potter,”

“You’d be surprised,”

Malfoy shook his head. “Whatever, Potter. Not all of us here are under some delusional spell that makes us worship the ground you walk on,” he said, before turning and starting to make his way back up to the castle.

Harry frowned, watching him leave. “Wait!”

Malfoy stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Potter with a raised eyebrow. “Potter?”

“Where are you going? I thought you wanted to play quidditch?”

“I thought you wanted to be alone. Why, miss me already?” he added with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. “You wish. But I wouldn’t turn down a game of Seeker?”

Draco stood, staring at Potter with an expression Harry couldn’t quite place. The silence dragged on, and Harry was about to tell him to just forget it, when Malfoy let out a heavy sigh, and mounted his broom.

Harry tried his best to fight back a smile. “Best two out of three?”

\---

“You’re such a cheater, Potter!”

“Am not!”

“That’s the third time in a row!”

“So?”

“So it’s a foul!”

“Is not! That’s totally a legal move!”

“Yeah, if you’re playing quidditch in a barn! That move would most certainly get you disqualified in a real match!”

“You’re just mad because I can pull it off better than you can,”

Malfoy scowled. “Potter, _anything_ you can do, I can do better,”

“Let’s see you try then,” Harry said smugly, with a sweep of his hand, indicating Malfoy to take a shot at it.

Malfoy huffed, clearly displeased with the turn of events. Harry knew there was no way he was going to back out of it. The challenge had been thrown out there, and now there were only two options. Either Malfoy takes the challenge, therefore either succeeding or failing miserably, or he calls Harry a bumbling idiot for the fiftieth time today and lets it go, giving Harry even more ammunition to ridicule him with.

And that’s assuming he successfully does the dive.

Malfoy glared at Potter for another few seconds. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

“Are you going to do the dive or not, Malfoy?”

“If it’ll shut you up,”

“Then please, by all means,”

Malfoy gave another heavy sigh as he closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself. Harry flew a couple feet away as to give him some room. “Want me to demonstrate it again?” he asked politely with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Knock it off Potter!” Malfoy replied, eyes still tightly shut.

After another minute or so of Malfoy just sitting there on his broom, Harry began to frown. “Seriously Malfoy, if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to do it. I was just messing around,”

“I’m going to do it, okay? Just...I need a second,”

“Seriously, it is a pretty dangerous-”

“I said I would do it, and I’m gonna do it, just be quiet for five seconds Potter, for Merlin's sake!”

Harry raised his hands up in surrender, not that Malfoy could see the gesture. A few moments later and with a couple more deep breaths, Malfoy opened his eyes and began to sink into a nosedive to complete the trick Harry had been showing off all night long.

He started off easy enough, Malfoy dipping his broom down as he increased his speed, before making a sharp right turn, doing a bit of a loop, and then pulling up again, before executing another loop on his broom, and then pulling up to level his broom again, before making another sharp turn and doing a bit of a twirl. Harry had to admit, it was just a bit impressive to see, even if it was Malfoy performing the trick. Harry even started to clap, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught the snitch the two of them had been neglecting to catch. Harry seized the opportunity to race for it while Malfoy was properly distracted.

“See! I told you I could - Potter, you get back here!”

Harry let out a barking laugh as he went into a dive of his own, sinking down to catch the snitch. Malfoy was a little behind, but not by much, as he angled his broom upward to try and catch the golden ball first. Harry was worried they’d collide into each other as Harry was still increasing his speed and Malfoy looked as though he had no intentions of slowing down anytime soon either. Harry knew neither one of them was going to pull away first, even if this was just a silly match just for fun. The two of them were way to competitive, and pulling away ment admitting defeat, and while neither one of them wanted to get hurt, catching the snitch weighed higher on the list than a scraped knee or a sprained elbow.

Harry was approaching fast, arm reaching out to try and clasp the snitch in his hand. Malfoy was coming up too, arm outstretched, fingertips just barely touching the whizzing ball before him. _Almost there, almost there_ , Harry kept chanting in his head as he willed his arm to stretch just a little further.

“I got it, I got it!” Malfoy was chanting out loud as his hand began to curl around the snitch.

Harry gritted his teeth, straining against his broom, trying his best to stay out of Malfoy’s way, but attempting to maybe, _just maybe_ , smack his hand out of the way to grab the snitch for himself.

Time seemed to slow down as the two began to fly past each other on either side of the snitch. Harry knew he either needed to pull up out of his dive, or swerve to the other side in order not to hit Malfoy. He also knew that if he did either of those two things, the snitch would surely be his, and Malfoy would never let him hear the end of it. He could practically see the smirk that was beginning to form on the smug blond’s face, and Harry wanted to desperately wipe that expression off his face.

Malfoy had his tongue sticking out in concentration, he could feel the snitch’s wings fluttering against the palm of his hand.

In a last ditch resort, Harry swung his arm out as he began to pull away, hoping to either move the snitch out of Draco’s way, or to completely redirect Malfoy’s hand from closing around the snitch.

This caused two things to happen. Number one, it did absolutely nothing to stop Malfoy from grabbing the snitch, because honestly, Malfoy’s hand had already been wrapped around the shimmering ball, and unless Harry was willing to snatch the ball away from him, it would have been no use regardless. It _did_ however, have the effect of knocking the Slytherin completely off balance, and before Malfoy even realized what was happening, he was falling into a rapid descent on his broom, and with only one hand to guide his broom, was approaching the ground faster than usual.

Harry had enough time to pull out of his dive to notice what was happening, but by the time his brain could process what exactly was going on, it was too late to try and stop it from happening. Malfoy hit the ground hard. Harry quickly descended to the ground and was off his broom in an instant, running towards Malfoy.

“Malfoy! Are you okay, say something!” Harry said, rushing over, and rolling Malfoy off of his broom and onto the hard ground.

Malfoy groaned. “That,” he said, coughing quite hard. “Was most definitely,” he said between another fit of coughing. “Was a foul,”

Harry laughed nervously, looking the blond over. “Are you okay?”

“Mentally?” he asked, holding up the snitch with a smile. “I feel fantastic! Physically...not so much,”

“I’m so sorry,”

“I told you you’re an idiot,”

“Can you stand up?”

“Maybe,” Malfoy went to push up off the ground, but fell back over with a yelp. “Or not,”

“Oh no,”

“Well, good news is my legs aren’t broken,” he said, wiggling his legs around.

“And your arm?”

The arm in which he caught the snitch with seemed to be fine, if not a bit bruised and a bit stiff to move. The arm he’d been using to try and steer the broom, however, wasn’t looking all that good. He tried to move it several times, but each time he tried, he groaned, and Harry could tell he was trying to fight back tears. “I think it is most definitely broken,”

“This is all my fault,”

“I know...because you’re an idiot,”

Harry could appreciate Malfoy, even with a broken arm, trying to rile him up, but now wasn’t the time. “Okay, I’m going to wrap my arm around you, and help you up. Then I’m taking you to Madam Pomfrey,”

“By all means, lead the way,”

So Harry bent down and wrapped his arm around Malfoy’s backside, and helped heave him up off the ground. Malfoy’s balance was a little off, but together they made their way up to the castle little by little. Harry hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten, the sun having set some time ago, as they approached the castle in the moonlight. A part of Harry was aware that it was way past curfew and that they were sure to be in a huge amount of trouble, but another part of him pushed that thought aside. He could worry about detention later, right now he needed to get Malfoy to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital wing, Harry didn’t even have time to say anything, Madam Pomfrey appeared at the sound of their footsteps and immediately dragged Malfoy away and propped him up in one of the vacant hospital beds. Harry took a seat beside him as Madam Pomfrey began to fuss over him, asking Harry what had happened to the poor boy.

“This wasn’t due to another duel between the two of you, now was it?” she asked with a scolding look, as if she was talking to two five year olds and not to responsible-ish teenagers.

“No, ma’am,” Harry started to explain, but Malfoy beat him to it. “Potter had been out flying on the quidditch pitch when I spotted him out there. He asked me if I wanted to play a game or two of one on one quidditch. Potter started showing off some of the tricks he’d learned on his broom over the summer, and when I went to try and execute one of the dives, I ended up falling over and crashing,”

Harry gave Malfoy a frown and a look of _that is most definitely_ not _what happened_ , but Malfoy decided to ignore it for now. “I wanted to challenge him, prove that I could do those tricks just as well as he could. It’s my fault I got hurt,”

Madam Pomfrey gave them both a disapproving look, but nodded, returning back to giving Malfoy several potions. “This will help with the bruising dear. You too, Mr. Potter, drink up, I see you’ve earned yourself a few scratches as well,” she said, passing him a vial of an unknown liquid as well.

“Always up to trouble, I see,” came a familiar voice, and Harry turned around to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway, Professor McGonagall not too far behind. “Tell me, why is it, whenever Draco is involved in something, you, Mr. Potter, are never too far behind?”

“I-”

“Leave him alone, Severus,” Malfoy said with a roll of his eyes. “He didn’t do anything,”

“But I-”

“Quiet, Potter!” both Snape and Malfoy hissed at the same time.

Harry shut his mouth.

“Someone better do some explaining,” McGonagall said.

“The two of us were out flying,” Malfoy said. “Potter over there was showing off all of his fancy tricks, so I thought I’d show him one of my own to shut him up. _Clearly_ , that didn’t go as planned,” he said, indicating towards his now bandaged arm.

“And why were you two out after curfew?” The Head of Gryffindor asked.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Malfoy once again beat him to it. “I challenged him. I was upset about the loss between Gryffindor and Slytherin last Saturday and wanted a rematch. So I met him out on the field after dinner and we played a game or two. And then he started showing off all his fancy diving skills, and I just wanted to prove that I could do it too,”

“So once again, you two let your ego get in the way of making proper decisions?” Snape stated. It wasn’t really a question.

Harry continued to stare at Malfoy with a look of _I can’t believe you’re covering for me, what are you up to?_ , but nodded anyways to Snape’s questioning. “Yes, sir. We were just trying to have some fun but got just a little too carried away,” Harry said, giving Malfoy what he hopped looked like a sincere apology.

“Detention,” Snape said to Malfoy, but he was eyeing Harry when he said it. “This weekend. You can cancel quidditch practice as you’ll be grading potions essays with me,”

“The same goes to you, Mr. Potter,” McGonagall said. “You can help me clean up the Owlery.”

Harry and Malfoy both shared a look, but nodded in agreement, seeing as they couldn’t really argue with their head of houses.

“Feel better soon, Mr. Malfoy,” McGonagall said as the two turned to leave the hospital wing. “And do try to get along from now on…” she said, before disappearing.

“You’re all set!” Madam Pomfrey said as she dapped away at the last scar on Malfoy’s forehead. “Should be good as new by tomorrow night!”

Malfoy sighed in relief. “Well that’s good,”

Harry looked sheepish. “I really am sorry,”

“For not catching the snitch or breaking my arm?” Malfoy asked, but surprisingly there was no bite behind it. In fact, there were tiny traces of a smirk on his lips.

Harry began to smile too. “I’d have caught the snitch if you hadn’t of been cheating,”

“ _Me?_ Why, Potter, I-”

“Okay you two!” Madam Pomfrey cut in. “That’s enough for one day! Off you go, Potter, Malfoy needs his rest,”

Harry didn’t much feel like arguing, so he stood, told Malfoy to feel better, and then left the hospital wing, suddenly feeling very tired.

\--

The next morning found Harry being interrogated by his two best friends. He’d managed to sneak into his dorm last night unnoticed, and promptly crawled into his bed and fell asleep. He’d woken up a bit late, and upon realizing that his dorm room was empty, rushed out of bed, threw on his clothes for the day, and made his way out of the common room and down to the great hall.

“Where were you yesterday?” Hermione asked, clearly having been worried sick. “We couldn’t find you anywhere!”

“Yeah, mate, what gives?” Ron asked, stuffing some toast into his mouth.

Harry shrugged, not wanting to beat around the bush, but also not wanting to cause his two friends too much alarm. “I was hanging out with Malfoy,”

“Hanging out?” Hermione asked.

“Malfoy?” Ron choked.

Harry shrugged again. “Yeah, after dinner, I went out flying and he caught me out there. He had wanted to do some practicing on his own, and I actually felt kind of bad, so we played some one on one quidditch for a while,”

“And Malfoy is in a cast because?” Hermione asked, indicating across the hall to the blond who was indeed eating with his left hand as his right was all bandaged up.

Harry blushed slightly. “I, uh, well you see-”

“You didn’t, did you Harry?” Hermione asked, tone and face disapproving.

“What, break his arm? Merlin no! We were having a one on one quidditch match, and in an effort to get him to not catch the snitch, I tried knocking his hand away, but I ended up throwing him completely off balance,”

“So, you pushed him to the ground?” Ron asked, torn between looking concerned and amused.

“Not intentionally...but yes. But I feel horrible about it!” he said to the look Hermione was giving him. “I walked him back to the infirmary and made sure he was okay before Madam Pomfrey kicked me out,”

“And is he okay?” Hermione pressed.

“She said his arm should be good as new by the end of the day,”

“So how much trouble did you get into?” Ron asked.

“Just weekend detention with McGonagall,”

“For breaking Malfoy’s arm?” Hermione asked surprised. “Surely I thought she’d give you at least a week's worth! Possibly even two.”

Harry shook his head. “That’s the thing. Malfoy didn’t blame it on me,”

“What?” Ron asked, clearly having been caught off guard, his spoon full of porridge half way to his mouth. “Why not?”

Harry looked across the hall and locked eyes with Malfoy. He had this weird expression on his face, something halfway to a smile. But then he nodded his head and looked away. Harry shrugged. “I haven’t a clue,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was in the fourth grade, my friend pushed me off the monkey bars, and I ended up breaking my wrist.
> 
> While WE are no longer friends, I figured, you know what? Draco and Harry would totally end up together if this happened! Because, honestly, why wouldn't they?


	2. Chapter 2

Harry wanted to know why Malfoy had decided not to tell the real reason behind how he had broken his arm. Maybe Malfoy just didn’t see it as that big of a deal, but to Harry it was. He still felt pretty bad about it, and even though up until yesterday the two had been sworn enemies, Harry still felt the need to make sure that they were okay. That just because they didn’t necessarily like each other, meant that he wanted to see Malfoy harmed in any way.

Harry got the chance as the Gryffindors and Slytherins were packing up their school supplies for the day. Transfiguration was over now, and Harry new for a fact that Malfoy had a free period between now and Potions class. Harry seized the opportunity, and rushed to catch up with Malfoy in the hallway.

“Malfoy, wait!” Harry shouted as he ran up to him, ignoring the weird stares it earned him.

Malfoy stopped, turning around to face Potter. It’s been a week since the incident, both of them having served their detentions, and Malfoy’s arm no longer being suspended in a cast. It was as if nothing had ever happened, and while Malfoy may have wanted to keep it that way, Harry had a hard time doing so himself.

“Can we - or - do you think maybe, if you have time, that we could talk?” he stumbled on his words, mentally scolding himself. Upon seeing the glares from Malfoy’s friends Zabini and Parkinson, he coughed and added, “Alone?”

Parkinson opened her mouth, no doubt to utter some insult, when Malfoy spoke first. “Library? Five minutes?”

“I’ll see you there,”

\---

“I already know what you’re going to ask,” Malfoy said.

Harry shrugged, not surprised. “Out with it then,”

Malfoy sighed, sitting across from Harry in the library. They were off by themselves, most students outside enjoying the nice day, instead of stuck inside studying. “Believe it or not, I didn’t want you to get in trouble,”

“Seriously?”

“Not over something so… I don’t know, unnecessary? I mean, it was just a broken arm, it wasn’t like you broke my ribs or tried to curse me or something,”

“Yeah, but still, you usually try to get me in trouble every chance you get,”

“Yes, but… I don’t know Potter, it just seemed childish is all. I mean it was just a broken arm, no real harm was done. Besides, it’s over now,”

“Yeah, but I feel like I owe you one,”

“Why?”

_“I broke your arm!”_

Malfoy actually had the audacity to laugh. “And over the past few years I’ve done some pretty bad things to you as well. I say we call it even,”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Just like that?”

Malfoy shrugged. “Why not?”

“Because we hate each other! We can’t just be even!”

Malfoy frowned. “I don’t hate you,”

Harry blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,”

“But I...you...me...what?”

Malfoy started to laugh again. “I’m serious, Potter. Do you get on my nerves? Absolutely. Do I think you’re an idiot? One hundred percent. Do you make me want to punch you in the face? On numerous occasions,”

“Your point?” Harry deadpanned.

Malfoy chuckled. “I don’t hate you. You get under my skin, and somehow get on every single one of my nerves, but I don’t hate you. Loathe, maybe, but not hate.”

Harry looked dumbfounded, but a small smile slowly started to appear. “Okay, well when put that way, maybe I don’t really hate you either,”

Malfoy had a full blown smile on his face now. “I knew it!”

“Did not!”

“I had a hunch,”

Harry laughed. “So what, are we just friends now?”

“I don’t see why not?”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,”

“So….what do we do now?”

Malfoy looked down at his watch. “We’ve got some time before Potions class. Fancy another game of Seeker?”

\--

The week went by in a bit of a blur, and Harry was surprised to find himself actually getting along with Malfoy. It was weird but not unwelcome. He enjoyed talking with him in the hallway between classes, and their afternoon quidditch games were becoming more of a regular occurence. Ron was surprised to find the two getting along so well, but Hermione didn’t seem at all fazed by it.

“You two getting along is a miracle,” she said one night at dinner. “And you never look a gift horse in the mouth,”

“Wait, you never do what?” Ron asked, mouth full of chicken.

“It’s an expression,” Harry tried to explain.

“An expression of what?”

“Forget it Harry,” Hermione said with a sigh. “He’s hopeless,”

\--

“What do you want to do today?”

Harry thought for a minute as they were making their way out of DADA. “Hogsmeade?”

Malfoy looked intrigued. “I don’t see why not,”

The walk down was warm and peaceful, the two discussing the earlier quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and how they think they’ll use the techniques they saw today to work towards new plays for their next matches, Gryffindor against Hufflepuff and Slytherin against Ravenclaw.

Once they reached the village, they made their way over to the Three Broomsticks for a glass of butterbeer each. Once seated, drinks in hand, they continued on with their conversation flowing easily between the two of them.

“Any plans for the summer?” Harry asked.

“Not really. I mean, me and my parents usually go off on some fancy trip, but other than that not much. I hang out with my friends, sometimes we go on trips together, but that’s about it,”

“That’s cool. I’m usually hanging out at the Weasley’s,”

“That’s got to be fun. Hanging out with the Weasel all day both in and outside of school,”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not,”

“Only slightly,”

“How charming,”

“I aim to please,”

Harry laughed at that. “Shut up Draco,”

Draco started to blush, but rolled his eyes nonetheless. “I will do no such thing.”

“Not even if I ask nicely?”

“You mean to tell me you actually have manners? Why, Potter, I’m truly impressed!”

“You really never stop talking, huh?”

“Why would I? I’m clearly very entertaining,”

“I think you meant to say pain in my-”

“Hey!” Draco said, smacking Harry’s arm. “Watch it,”

Harry laughed, taking a drink of his butterbeer. “You are not at all how I expected you to be,”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know… stuck up, stubborn, picky Draco. Not...nice, funny, and _mildly_ entertaining. I definitely didn’t think we’d get along this well,”

“Neither did I, but weirder things have happened,”

Harry raised up his glass. “I’ll toast to that,”

Draco smiled, clinking his glass against Harry’s. “Sounds good to me,”

\--

Quidditch and weekend trips to Hogsmeade was steadily becoming a routine thing. Harry found comfort in it, he liked having time set aside just for Draco. He still did things with Ron and Hermione like play chess and study in the library, but it was fun getting to spend one on one time with Draco as well.

Ron and Hermione were also starting to notice this pattern.

“You seem to really like spending time Malfoy,” Hermione said as the three of them sat around the empty common room. It was early Sunday morning, so most of the students were still sleeping in.

“Yeah, he’s really cool, which I know is surprising considering a month ago we were complete enemies,”

“But you like him?” Hermione pushed, looking up from her book to eye Harry carefully.

Harry shrugged. “Well, yeah, I like him just fine. I just said that,”

“No, Harry, she means do you you like him,” Ron said from beside him. “As in...you know,” he said, nudging Harry’s shoulder with his own. “ _Like_ him,”

“Oh… _oh!_ ” Harry said, beginning to blush.

“Ronald!” Hermione scolded.

“What! We were all thinking it,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yes, but Harry-” she said, turning to look at her best friend. “I wasn’t trying to pressure you or anything, I just wanted to know if maybe, this thing with Malfoy was serious,”

Harry frowned. “Thing? What thing?”

“Well, you two are practically going out on dates every other weekend, aren’t you?” Ron asked.

Harry’s frown deepened. “What? To Hogsmeade?”

“Well, yeah,” Hermione said. “You play a couple rounds of quidditch, go out for butterbeer, come back and hang out in the library until close to curfew,”

“And if you’re not spending time with us, you’re hanging out with him,” Ron chimed in.

“I overheard Parkinson say that you’re all he ever talks about,” Hermione added.

“And all _you_ ever talk about it Malfoy,” Ron said for good measure.

Harry’s face was a deep shade or red, as were the tips of his ears and a little ways down his neck. “You guys aren’t serious.”

“Oh, come on Harry!” Hermione said, closing her book. “It’s obvious that you like him!”

“Yeah, mate, just ask him out,” Ron said, clasping a hand on his shoulder. “The worst he could say is no,”

“Ronald!”

“Which he won’t!”

“Guys, I don’t even know if he likes me like that. Merlin, I don’t even know if _I_ like him like that!” Harry said, trying to calm his friends down. “I need some time to think this over,”

“Of course,” Hermione said, opening her book once more.

“We’re here for you mate,” Ron replied, squeezing his shoulder, before returning back to his quidditch magazine.

Harry let out a sigh of relief, smiling at both his friends. “Thanks guys. You really are the best,”

They both smiled back. “Anytime,”


	3. Chapter 3

“So, I hear the Prefects are planning an end of the year party,” Draco said as they sat together on the quidditch pitch. They’d just finished another match and were taking a break, enjoying the warm May weather.

“Really? From who?”

Draco snorted. “Pansy of course. She’s my news source for practically everything that happens in the castle,”

“And is she reliable?”

Draco shrugged. “For the most part,”

“When’s the party?”

“Sometime after finals,”

“That’s right around the corner,”

“I know, hard to believe, isn’t it? Next year we take our N.E.W.T.S, and then…”

“That’s it,”

“Yeah,”

The two sat in silence for a while, but it was nice. Every now and then, the two would lock eyes with one another and smile, before turning and looking away. Draco was playing with the grass in between his fingers, and Harry was keeping himself busy with polishing his broom.

“So, this party,” Harry said. “Is it for certain years?”

“Technically it’s for the seventh years, but Pansy and a whole bunch of other Slytherins were planning on crashing the party,”

“Sounds like fun,”

“She says it’s supposed to be sort of like a dance,”

Harry frowned. “Like the Yule Ball?”

“Less formal,”

“Do you need a date? To go I mean,”

“Who knows? But, we’re crashing the party, so, I guess you wouldn’t really need a date then, huh?”

“I guess,” Harry said, trying his hardest not to look at Draco. “Who would you take? If you had to take someone, I mean?”

Draco was quiet for a moment, and Harry gave into the urge to stare at the blond. He looked thoughtful, like he was really thinking about the question. But he also had a certain look in his eyes as he stared back at Harry, his usually pale face tinged just a bit with pink.

“I don’t know. There isn’t anyone who I’d really want to ask, but…”

“But?”

Draco shrugged, looking away. “I don’t know… if somewhere were to ask _me_ to go, I wouldn’t necessarily say no,”

“Someone like who?”

Draco’s blush intensified. “Well, if I’m going to have to hang out with them for the night, I should probably like them, right?”

“ _Do_ you like anyone?” Harry found himself asking. “I mean like… _like_ like someone?”

Draco rolled his eyes, his face still burning red. “What are we, third years Potter?”

“Are you going to answer the question?”

Draco let out a huff. “What’s it matter, they probably don’t even like me back,”

Harry frowned again. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Have you met me?”

“I mean you certainly are...you,”

“Gee, thanks Potter,”

“You know what I mean,”

“Do I?”

“Well, guy or girl, they’d be pretty stupid not to like you back,”

“Guy for sure,”

Harry couldn’t help the smile that broke through. “Then in that case, any _boy_ would be stupid not to like you back. What’s there not to like?”

Draco smiled at Harry. “My, you sure know how to flatter someone,”

“I’m just saying, you’re surprisingly not a bad person,”

“That means so much to me, really it does. Especially coming from you,”

“See? Who wouldn’t fall in love with that rich sarcasm of yours,”

“Pansy says I should be more friendly to people. You know, to give me more options,”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Please, it’s part of your Malfoy charm. If they don’t like one thing about you, then they won’t like the whole thing, and it isn’t worth the hassle. You shouldn’t have to change yourself in order to get others to like you. You’re great just the way you are,”

Draco turned his head to the side, _really_ looking at Harry. “You really think so?”

Harry nodded. “I know so,”

Draco looked away, biting his lip. “The person that I like… I want to tell him but… I’m way to scared,”

“Why?” Harry asked, sitting forward.

“Well, I’m no Gryffindor, I can’t just shout my feelings out to the world and hope for the best. It be way too embarrassing, whether he liked me back or not,”

Harry shrugged. “Get him alone then,”

“Can’t. I’d just freeze up. I’d never get the words out,”

“But you’re so confident!”

“Yeah, when it matters! In case you haven’t noticed, Potter, but I’m pretty bad at making friends, let alone partners. I mean I’ve been trying to be your friend for six years now?”

“And now look at us! That’s solid progress!”

“Yeah, but… what if being with the person that I like means ruining our friendship?”

Harry thought on that for a moment. “If you really want to be together, then it won’t matter. I mean look at Ron and Hermione,”

“Yeah, but they’ve practically been dating since year one,”

“Okay, then look at Theo and Pansy. Clearly that’s meant to be,”

Draco scoffed. “If they ever get around to admitting their feelings for each other,”

“Which is what they probably say to you about your crush,”

Draco groaned, falling back to lay in the grass. “This is way to complicated!”

“You’re making it complicated!” Harry said back. He was just trying to be helpful, how much more obvious could he be? Draco should just walk into the Slytherin common room, hunt down whoever it is he’s crushing on, and just ask him out. It wasn’t rocket science, surely the blond could figure it out. “Just… do it!”

“Says the freaking Gryffindor!” Draco said, sitting up again. “Slytherins don’t… do that,”

“Well...maybe you should make it more obvious that you like him,” Harry said with a shrug. “And then once he _finally_ gets the hint that you like him, then he’ll ask you out,”

“Assuming he likes me! And I feel like I am being _very_ obvious,” Draco added with a pointed look. Harry shrugged, and Draco groaned even louder, rolling his eyes. “Maybe he’s ignoring the hints because he doesn’t like me,” Draco added with an eyebrow raise.

“Or maybe he’s not sure what the hints mean,” Harry said, leaning back against the grass. “You might have to spell it out for him,”

“Clearly,” Draco muttered under his breath.

“I’m sure he likes you,” Harry said. “Positive of it,”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well, we’re friends right? I mean, I like you, so therefore he should like you too,”

Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled at the advice. “Thanks, Harry.”

Harry returned the smile. “Anything for you,”


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next week Harry and Draco were becoming even closer, and not just with their conversations. Now, Draco was prone to touching Harry, anywhere from just a tap on his shoulder, to playing with his hands when they would sit down and talk. They were even hugging each other now, Draco going in for a hug both in greeting and as they said their goodbyes every night. It made Harry feel all warm and tingly whenever Draco would touch him. Like a million butterflies were being released from his stomach and all over his skin at once. The feeling was pleasurable though, and he always felt a cold sense of loss whenever Draco would finally pull away. He liked the subtle touches.

Draco was also just more attentive in general, helping him with potions homework and listening to his problems whenever he needed someone to vent too without Ron’s personal opinion or Hermione’s over thinking of everything. He likes spending time with the blond, and it seemed as though Draco didn’t have any qualms against it either.

“It’s nice up here,” Draco commented as he floated next to Harry, watching the sky turn a pretty shade of purple.

“Yeah, it’s really warm too,” Harry replied. “Feels kind of like summer,”

Draco nodded as they both looked over the quidditch pitch. They’d played a couple rounds of Seeker and were now just floating high above the pitch, watching the sunset after a long, busy day.

“You should come visit me,”

“Hmm?”

“At the manor. It be fun,”

“You mean you’d actually want to hang out with me over the summer?” Harry asked, genuinely surprised.

Draco snorted. “Yes Potter, in case you haven’t noticed, I like spending time with you,”

Harry hoped Draco couldn’t see his blush. “What would we even do?”

Draco shrugged. “Play quidditch, hang out around the city. There’s lots to do at the manor, walk through the gardens or just hang out in the parlor. I’d even let you take me out on some muggle adventures,”

Harry hadn’t really taken any thought to what would happen after school ended. He figured he and Malfoy would say their goodbyes and then they’d kind of just start back over again at the beginning of seventh year. The fact that Draco not only wanted to continue their little friendship, but also wanted to see him and spend time with him _outside_ of school as well was exhilarating, if not just a little terrifying.

“Sounds like a plan to me,”

Draco smiled, and Harry felt himself falling just a little bit deeper.

\----

“You look good, Potter,”

Harry frowned as he stared at his robes inside of Gladrags Wizardwear, a clothing shop inside of Hogsmeade. Draco had asked him early on in the week if he was going to go to The Party, and Harry had replied that even if he was, he had absolutely nothing to wear to such an affair.

This had been Draco’s brilliant solution.

“You really think so?”

“Well,” Draco said, tilting his head to the side to get a full look. “It isn’t Madam Malkin’s, but it’ll do!”

“I don’t know…” Harry trailed of, doing a little spin in the mirror. The robes were a deep forest green, the tails of the coat spinning around behind him as he did his little twirl. “It isn’t too...over the top?”

“You _are_ speaking to a Malfoy here,” Draco responded with a smirk.

“Oh right. How could I have forgotten?”

“Seriously, you look good,” Malfoy said, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and turning him around to face front. “All the girls will be fawning after you,” he said, flattening out Harry’s shoulder pads.

“They already do that,” Harry said with an eye roll. “And girls are most certainly _not_ what I am after,”

“Well, in that case,” Draco said, rolling up Harry’s arm sleeves. “Any _guy_ will be dying to have you,” he said with a wink. “Turn around again, please,”

Harry did as told, modeling off his outfit. “Seriously, I just feel out of place,”

“Don’t,” Draco said, turning him back around again, this time fixing his lapels. “This is basically a toned down version of what you wore to the Yule Ball,”

“And I wasn’t very fond of that outfit either,”

“You looked better than the Weasel,” Draco said, fixing his tie. “Although, let’s face it, anyone looks better than the Weasel. And you look good everyday, so no problem there,”

Harry opened his mouth to comment on the Ron insult, but promptly closed it again due to Draco’s compliment of him. “Stop lying,”

“I’m not,” Draco said. “Name _one_ time you’ve seen the Weasel throw together a decent outfit. It’s like he dresses himself in a barn,”

“Hey!” Harry chided, whacking Draco’s arm. “And not what I meant. I never look good, and you’re always complaining about my appearance,”

Draco rolled his eyes, realigning Harry’s buttons. “You looking good and you dressing good are two _completely_ different things,” Draco said, running his hands down Harry’s chest, making him shiver. “You don’t always _dress_ well, but you _always_ look pulchritudinous,”

“I...what?”

Draco rolled his eyes, stepping back to admire his handy work. “It means you always look good. Irresistible even,” he added with a wink.

Harry suddenly felt very hot. The combination of Draco calling him good looking and looking him up and down like that was both exhilarating and nerve racking. On top of the not-so-subtle flirting, Harry’s head was starting to spin. “Er, thanks…”

“Anytime. So!” Draco said, clapping his hands together. “Is it a yes or a yes?”

Harry shrugged, glad for the distraction. “Your the fashion expert, so I guess it’s a yes,”

\--

“So, if you _do_ go to this party,” Draco began. “Are you going to ask anyone?”

Harry shrugged. “If I do end up going, it’ll probably just be with Ron and Hermione,”

“Makes sense,” Draco said, trailing off.

“Is there anyone you’re hoping will ask you?”

Draco shrugged. “Perhaps,”

“That’s oddly vague, yet subtly specific,”

Draco laughed. “Yes, Harry, there’s someone I’m hoping will ask me,”

“And is this the same person you have a crush on?”

“I never confirmed I liked anyone, Potter,”

“You didn’t exactly deny it either,”

“Yeah, well, my hints have so far continued to go unnoticed, so I’d say it’s a lost cause anyways,”

Harry frowned. “Don’t give up just yet. The party is still like a two weeks away,”

“Well, if he doesn’t make a move soon, I’m going to lose it,” Draco said. “I’ve about lost my patience,”

Harry chuckled. “You’ve never been the patient type,”

“Honestly Potter, at this point, I don’t think he’d get the hint that I like him even if it smacked him over the head,” Draco said, whacking the back of Harry’s head for emphasis.

“Hey!” he yelled, cupping the back of his head. “That’s just an expression you know!”

Draco laughed. “Exactly my point,”


	5. Chapter 5

“Do you think he’s flirting with me?” Harry asked.

Hermione and Ron both nodded vigorously. “Yes,”

“Really?”

“Yes,” “One hundred percent,”

“...you think I should-”

“Yes,”

“Seriously?”

“Yes!”

“Because I don’t know if I-

“Harry!”

Harry frowned at his two best friends. “What?”

“Just ask him!” Ron said, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

“Trust me, nothing bad will come of it,” Hermione urged.

\--

Harry found Draco alone in the library, and quickly made his way over towards him. “Hey,”

Draco looked up and smiled. “Hey, Harry,” he said, pulling the Gryffindor into a hug. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk?” Harry asked, fidgeting a bit. “Maybe outside somewhere?”

Draco nodded, taking Harry’s hand and leading him out the library. They made their way outside of the castle, but instead of heading towards the quidditch pitch, Draco turned and lead them in the direction of the great lake. Once there, the two sat down side by side, watching as the giant squid swam by.

“So what’s up?” Draco asked.

“Nothing. Just wanted to be alone, I guess?”

“With me? That’s not very lonely is it?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Always the jokester,”

“Well somebody’s got to lighten up the mood,” Draco said, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Harry shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just that...I’ve been thinking,”

“Oh no,”

Harry punched Draco’s arm, who just laughed it off. “Sorry, continue.”

“I’ve been thinking about the upcoming party, and about how you don’t have a date and how I’ll be inevitably forced to go,”

“Okay?”

“So, I was just thinking that maybe…”

“Yes?”

Harry shrugged. “We could go together? You know, since you don’t have a date, and I don’t really have anyone else to ask,”

Draco stared at Harry for a moment, his eyebrow raised, and his head tilted to the side. “You’re serious,”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don’t...want to ask anybody else?”

Harry shrugged. “Why would I?”

“I just thought that maybe you…” Draco shook his head. “Nevermind. Is this a pity ask?”

“Wait what? No!”

“Well, you said I don’t have a date, which is accurate, and that there isn’t anyone else you’d want to ask so…”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way!”

“So, you just want to go as friends?”

“I mean...yes? If that’s okay with you?”

The look on Draco’s face was unreadable, and Harry couldn’t help but to think that he had said the wrong thing. “Yeah. Just friends,” Draco said, turning his head to look out at the lake.

“Are you okay?”

Draco smiled, but Harry could tell it wasn’t reaching his eyes. “Perfect,”

“If you’d rather not go with me…”

Draco sighed, turning to face Harry again. “I’d love to go with you Harry,” he said with a faint smile. “I mean, I _did_ pick out your dress robes,”

Harry smiled too. “See? It’s meant to be,”

Draco gave a half-hearted laugh, “Yeah. It sure is,”

\--

As word spread around that the seventh years were planning a party, more and more of the fifth and sixth years were making plans on how to attend as well. Word had gotten around that the party was being held _somewhere secret, if only one knows what to ask for_ , whatever that meant. Hermione was sure that the seventh years were referring to the Room of Requirement, since not a lot of people know about it or its whereabouts.

“Are you guys going to go?” Neville asked the group.

Ron shrugged, Hermione looked uncertain. “Maybe,” Ron said. “I wouldn’t mind checking it out for a bit,”

“I don’t know…” Hermione said. “I’ve never been one for crashing parties,”

“What about you, Neville?” Harry asked.

“Ginny asked me to go, so I’m going with her. I think Luna is gonna be there too,”

“That’ll be fun,” Hermione said.

“I heard Dean and Seamus are going together,” Ron said, playfully nudging Harry.

“Are you going with anyone Harry?” Neville asked.

Harry blushed. “Yeah, with Draco,”

“So, are you two…?”

“No,” Harry said with a sigh. “At least not yet. But maybe? I’m thinking about possibly asking him after the dance,”

“He’s gonna make a move,” Ron said with another playful nudge.

“Will you knock it off?” Harry asked, playfully shoving Ron off of him.

Ron laughed. “I’m just saying! And it’s about time too,”

“That, I can agree with,” Hermione said.

“And what about you?” Ron asked, turning back to Neville. “Are you _finally_ going to make a move on my sister?”

“Since when are you matchmaker?” Harry asked with an amused smile.

“What can I say? Being a relationship myself has helped me to see the potential in other people,”

Hermione snorted. “What he means is he’s a nosy git,”

“Ooohh,” Neville said.

“Hermione!” Harry playfully scolded. “Such foul language,”

“Who do you think she gets it from?” Neville teased.

“What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” Ron asked, looking confusedly between the two.

Neville and Harry shared a look before promptly falling into a fit of giggles.


	6. Chapter 6

Finals, O.W.L.S., and N.E.W.T.S exams came and went, and before the students knew it, it was the night of The Party. Everyone was buzzing around excitedly, especially the Seventh Years. They knew that the sixth years were planning to crash their party, so instead of trying to stop them, that morning at breakfast, all the sixth years got an official letter inviting them to attend. It even had signatures from the Seventh year prefects, as well as from the Head Boy and Head Girl.

All morning and afternoon the only thing anyone could talk about the was the party. While the lower years prepared to leave for the summer, the fifth years in particular feeling drained from their O.W.L.S, the sixth and seventh years began to prepare for the party.

Soon enough, the time came, and it was time to make their way up to the room of requirement. Harry had already left the Gryffindors in order to head down to the dungeons so that he could escort Draco with him. Of course, he was dressed to impress in semi formal baby blue robes. Harry thought he looked drop dead gorgeous, but decided to simply go with, “you look exceptionally good, Malfoy,”

“As I always do,” the blond teased.

Harry playfully extended his elbow out and Draco gracefully took it as the two made their way out of the dungeons and up to the seventh floor. Upon arrival, the door to the room was already visible, and he could see Neville and Ginny walking in, following behind Luna. Harry quickly pulled Draco along, and they slipped through the doorway before the door shut closed behind them.

The room was filled with loud music, the room packed with sixth and seventh years alike dancing around on a dance floor. On one side of the room sat tables and chairs for the students to sit at, and against the wall was a snack and drink bar for the students to help themselves too.

“They must have put a lot of work into this,” Harry said over the loud music.

“The food yes,” Draco said, indicating towards the chocolate fountain. “Everything else though, the room provided for them. This room pretty much makes whatever you need, but it can’t make food. You know, the fifth principal,”

Harry nodded his head, leading Draco over to their group of friends. Sat at one of the round tables was Ron, Hermione, Pansy, Theo, and Blaise, all chatting amongst themselves.

“You guys made it!” Pansy cheered, as she gestured for them to take the last two seats.

Draco and Harry took a seat side by side, while they chatted around the circle with their friends. Eventually, Harry and Blaise went off to get everyone drinks, and not too long after they returned, Pansy squealed as one of her favorite songs came on and she dragged Theo off to the dancefloor.

“Well, come on Ron,” Hermione urged as she too, stood up in her fluffy yellow dress and ushered Ron out onto the dancefloor.

“And then there were three,” Blaise commented with a sigh.

“And that Ravenclaw girl you’ve been crushing on is right over there,” Draco said with a smirk, pointing across the room to a sixth year Ravenclaw standing by herself on the opposite wall.

Blaise began to smile. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen,”

“And then there were two,” Harry said.

“Come on, then,” Draco said, holding out a hand, “Dance with me,”

\--

The party carried on throughout the night, filled with laughter, singing, and lots of dancing. What could have only been a couple hours was starting to feel like an eternity to Harry. He wanted to get Draco alone for a minute, but he didn’t know how. They were either dancing in a group surrounded by their friends, or they were sitting at a table surrounded by their friends. Harry didn’t want to drag Draco out into the hallway and away from the party, but he also didn’t want to admit his feelings to him with everybody watching.

“Someone should request a slow song,” Blaise said.

_Well why didn’t I think of that?_ Harry mentally questioned himself.

“Why, so you can make a move on that Ravenclaw girl?” Pansy teased.

Ron waggled his eyebrows, but he was looking at Harry, not Blaise. Hermione whacked him on the arm, and Harry mouthed a silent “thank you,”.

“Who says I’m the only one trying to make a move?” Blaise said, giving Theo a not so subtle look as he had his arm draped around Pansy.

“What, is tonight hook up night or something?” Draco asked, eyebrow raised.

“Just think, we can all have the same anniversary date,” Pansy squealed excitedly.

“That’s one for the grandkids,” Theo said with an eye roll.

“You know, statistically speaking, couples who date during their school years don’t actually last,” Hermione said, effectively killing the mood.

“Gee, how reassuring, sweetheart,” Ron deadpanned.

Hermione gave him a look. “You know what I mean,”

“Oh, do I?”

“It’s like they’re already married!” Pansy said.

“It’s been like this for the past six years,” Harry said. “I just ignore them at this point,”

Blaise laughed. “Tell me, Draco, who does that remind you of?”

Harry laughed, thinking Blaise was talking about Theo and Pansy, but by the look on Draco’s face - in particular, his dark scowl - Harry had a feeling that isn’t who he was referring to.

“Shut up, Zabini,”

Blaise raised his hands up in surrender. “Hey! I’m just saying,”

Harry bumped his shoulder against Draco. “Just ignore him,”

“I’ll go ask for the slow song,” Pansy said, getting up and heading over towards the DJ.

She returned back to the table, and about three songs later, a slow song did begin to play. Slowly, the dance floor cleared out, and couples began to make their way onto the dancefloor instead. Ron and Hermione stopped their bickering long enough to get up and dance, as well as Blaise once again summoning up his courage to go talk to the Ravenclaw girl. Theo gave Pansy a devilish grin, grabbing her hand and leading her onto the dance floor as well. Across the way, Harry could spot Neville leading Ginny into a slow twirl, and across from them was Luna, dancing with a seventh year Hufflepuff.

Harry turned and shared a glance at Draco. “Care to dance?”

Draco shrugged. “Why not?”

Harry lead him out onto the dancefloor, but let Draco take the lead once they actually began to dance. “This isn’t so bad,” Harry said.

“Well, considering your a horrible dancer, I’d say it’s subpar,” Draco teased. “Remind me for next years dance to actually teach you how to dance before we go,”

Harry chuckled. “You mean you’d go to another dance with me? I feel like I haven’t been all that fun tonight,”

“Are you kidding me? This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” Draco said, spinning Harry around in a circle. “I’d totally do this again with you next year,”

Harry smiled at the sentiment, allowing Draco to waltz him around the dancefloor as he pleased, even playfully bumping into Theo and Pansy as he was going in to seal the kiss.

“That was just rude,” Harry giggled.

“What can I say? Evil Slytherin Prince here, remember?”

As the slow song came to an end, and everyone exited off the dancefloor, Harry noticed Theo and Pansy walking out the door. “Guess they don’t want any more interruptions from you, huh?”

Draco snorted. “About damn time, honestly,”

“Looks like he’s not the only one,” Harry said, nodding to Blaise and the Ravenclaw girl who were now off by themselves in one of the corners of the room.

“Is everyone hooking up?” Draco asked, exasperatedly.

“Looks like it,” Harry said with a shrug.

Draco sighed, turning and heading in the other direction. “I need a drink,” he grumbled to himself.

Harry watched him leave, before turning to make his way over to Ron and Hermione. Thankfully, they weren’t arguing as he approached them. “Having fun, you two?”

“Loads!” Ron said.

“More than expected actually,” Hermione nodded.

Harry smiled, sitting down next to the two. “I’m glad you two are so happy,”

“And what about you?” Hermione asked.

“Make a move yet?” Ron asked, sounding just a tad bit too excited.

Harry sighed. “No. I can’t figure out when the right time is. Or how to get it out,”

Hermione shrugged. “It’ll happen when it happens,”

“Yeah, but he just seems so...down,” Harry said as he watched the blond across the room.

“Well, he’s been waiting what? Over a month for you to make a move?”

“Ronald!”

“No, he has a point,” Harry said. “I mean, I really do like him, it’s just taken me a while to fully realise the full extent of it. And if I’m reading the signals right, which you two won’t leave me alone about, then I think he likes me too. And Blaise keeps making faces and gestures at us when he thinks we aren’t looking, so,”

“He does that to everyone,” Hermione said with an eye roll.

“Yeah, even to us,” Ron said. “And we’re already together,”

Harry actually laughed at that. “Well, what should I do?”

“Do what feels right,” Hermione said.

“Yeah, don’t try and force it,” Ron said. “You’ll know when it’s time,”

\--

Harry and Draco made their way back down to the dungeons in a fit of laughter. Draco’s mood had lightened up significantly, especially after Theo had rushed back into the party declaring Pansy as his girlfriend. It had been a funny sight to behold and Pansy was probably still scolding him about it, but Draco didn’t care. He was happy for his friends.

“I’m glad you had fun tonight,” Harry said as he dropped Draco off.

“Me too. Thanks for going with me,”

“Anytime you need a horrible dance partner, I’ll be there,” Harry said with a bow.

Draco laughed, and then he began to blush, biting his bottom lip. “I’m going to say this in the hopes that I don’t completely embarrass myself but… I really don’t want you to go,”

Harry smiled, moving closer to Draco, “If it makes you feel any better, I’d rather not leave,”

Draco returned the smile, staring into Harry’s bright green eyes. “You know, the whole time I was watching Pansy and Theo all night, I kept hoping that maybe…”

“Yes?”

Draco shrugged, looking away. “Well, I thought maybe the person that I liked would ask me to the dance, and well,”

“You’d end up with him like Pansy did with Theo?”

Draco nodded, still looking away. “It’s stupid, I know. And it’s not like I’m not happy for them, because I am. It’s been a long time coming. But even Blaise made a move on that Ravenclaw girl, and he’s had a crush on her for well over a year now,”

Harry sighed, completely understanding Draco’s frustration. “It’ll be okay, you know,”

Draco turned back to look at Harry. “Will it?”

Harry nodded. “Maybe the person you like is scared too. Maybe he doesn’t want to make the first move because he’s terrified he’s reading all the signs wrong,”

“But the signs are so obvious!”

“Which is exactly why he doesn’t want to make a move,” Harry tried to explain. “Because what if he guessed wrong, and it turns out that maybe you’re just being overly friendly…”

“Overly friendly?” Draco looked incredulous. “Harry there’s a difference between being overly friendly and practically begging the guy to ask me out,”

“I just think that maybe you’re being a little too hard on him,” Harry said with a shrug.

“Maybe he should just be a Gryffindor and ask me out,” Draco said with a raised eyebrow.

“And why is that?”

“Well why should I have to be the one to do it?”

“You’re the one making all the unnecessary hints! Why _don’t_ you just do it!”

“Because maybe _I’m_ wrong and reading the situation differently,”

“But it’s impossible for the other person to think the same way?”

“Are we seriously arguing over who should be asking who out?”

The two stood staring at each other for a long time. Harry didn’t know what to make of the situation, and quite frankly, his brain hurt too much from it all. He couldn’t even remember who was who at this point. He’d of course been talking about Draco asking out his mystery crush, but it seemed as if Draco was urging _Harry_ to make the first move.

Which… why would he do that?”

“This makes no sense,” Harry said, rubbing his temples. “I am completely lost,”

Draco scoffed. “Figures,”

“And we had been doing so well,”

Draco sighed, leaning against the nearest wall. “I had fun tonight, I did. I meant it when I said it was the most fun I’d had in a while. I just wish…”

“You wish he’d make the move first?”

Draco nodded, closing his eyes. “Is it so hard?”

“Terrifying actually,”

Draco laughed, his eyes still closed. “I’m afraid to make a move because…”

“Because?”

Draco cracked an eye open to look at Harry. Really look at him. He closed his eye again, taking a deep breath. “Remember I told you I couldn’t get him alone? Because if I tried to express my feelings to him, I’d just… freeze?”

Harry nodded, but then realized Draco couldn’t see him. “Yes,”

“Well, it’s true. I mean, he’s my friend, and I don’t want to ruin what we have. It’s not that I’m afraid that I’ll ask him and he’ll say no. It’s that he’ll say yes and it’ll be great. Wonderful even. But then, one day...it won’t be. And we’ll break up. And if he was just some random guy, it be fine, no problem. But…,” Draco opened his eyes, meeting Harry’s gaze. “I don’t want to lose my best friend,”

Harry took in a deep breath, holding Draco’s gaze. “But what if it doesn’t? What if you don’t have to lose him?”

Draco shook his head. “I don’t really want to take that risk,”

“And if he asked you out right now?”

Draco shrugged. “Then when it ends…”

“It’ll be his fault?”

Draco looked away.

“Draco…”

“It’s dumb, I know,” Draco said.

“Why does this end badly, either way? Why is there no good ending?”

“If there was always a happy ending, there wouldn’t be any sad people in the world,” Draco said.

“Quite the pessimistic,” Harry said with half a smile, hoping to goad Draco into mocking him for his impressive knowledge of such a big word.

It got the blond to smile, but he didn’t comment on it. “It’s just how I’ve been raised, I guess,”

“But you don’t have to think like that,” Harry said, moving closer to the blond again. “You deserve to be happy too, you know,”

“I know, but...he does make me happy. I don’t want to lose that,”

Harry nodded, unsure of what to do now. Draco decided for him, pushing himself off against the wall, and pulling Harry into a hug. “You’re the best,” he whispered.

Harry smiled, pulling Draco closer. “Only for you,”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say that I never expected this story to go this far, and I am amazed that I actually finished this pretty much in one go over the past couple days because that _never_ happens. I hoped you enjoyed this (not so little) story, and that you'll let me know what you think!

It was the final day of school, and while most students found themselves doing last minute packing before leaving to catch the Hogwarts express in about an hour or so, Draco and Harry decided to spend their last school day together out in the courtyard.

“...it’ll be a lot of fun,” Draco was saying. “Like I said, there’s a bunch of stuff for us to do. Play quidditch, hang out in the garden, play chess in the parlor,” 

“And don’t forget, you said I can take you out on a bunch of muggle adventures,”

“Oh yeah, I did say that, didn’t I?”

Harry laughed. “It’ll be fun! We could walk around some of the parks in London, or we could learn how to ice skate. I could take you to the movies, teach you how to bowl. We could go out to dinner, and we could even go out for ice cream afterwards,”

Draco snorted. “If I didn’t know any better Potter, I’d say you were trying to take me out on a date,”

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, you wouldn’t be wrong,” he said, deciding to be bold. _Be a Gryffindor, dammit!_

Draco blanched at that, doing a double take. “Wait, you what?”

“I mean I wouldn’t be opposed,” Harry tried to say with as neutral a face as possibly. “I could come pick you up and we could go do one of the previously named activities, for example go bowling. We’d do that, go get some dinner, then take a walk around one of the local parks. I’d ask you if you wanna go get some ice cream afterwards, and you’d say yes, so we’d go get some. We’d walk past an ice rink and you’d tell me it be cool to learn, and I’d promise to take you ice skating on our second date. Then we’d finish our ice cream and I’d take you back home,”

Draco gawked at him. “You can’t be serious. After all this time, you can _not_ be serious,”

Harry blushed, standing up and taking Draco’s hands as he turned to face him. He pulled Draco up from the spot that he was sitting in so that they were level with one another. “Very serious,” Harry said. “This whole time I’ve been so afraid of asking you out, and after your confession the night of the dance, I figured any hope of me ever building up the courage to ask you out was gone forever. But then I sat talking to Ron and Hermione and I thought, you know what? Why can’t we have both? Why can’t we be happy with one another while still remaining friends? Ron and Hermione are best friends, and they love each other very much. It doesn’t matter that they’re dating, because, well, they’re best friends!” Harry said.

Draco was staring at him wide eyed in disbelief.

Harry pushed on. “I’ve liked you for a long time now, and why it’s taken me this long to admit it, I don’t know, but I really do want to be with you. And you’re such a stubborn Slytherin, I know you want me to be the Gryffindor and just come right out and say it, but sometimes it can be hard for me to express my feelings. I really wasn’t sure if it was me who you were talking about when you were giving me all those _way too obvious_ hints. And the night of the dance when you said it was your friend you had a crush on, I honestly thought it could have been Blaise or even Theo you’d been talking about. But the way you were looking at me, like you were pleading with me with your eyes, I just knew that you had to have been talking about me, but I still couldn’t bring myself to just tell you how I feel,” Harry continued on. “I know you’re afraid, and I know I’ve been a complete idiot for the past couple months, but I really want to see where this goes with us. I want to take you out on dates and show you off, but I also do want to continue to be your friend. I think we could do both. You don’t have to be sad. We can be happy together,” Harry ended with a nervous smile.

“Harry James Potter,” Draco began, taking deep calming breaths. “Are you really asking me out? _On the last day of school?!”_

Harry began to blush madly. “Erm-”

“How-dare-you!” Draco said, beginning to bang on his chest and shoulders with his fists. “I gave you so-many- _hints!_ And it takes you - this long - to realise - my feelings for you? Are you mad? Are you mental? Two months! Two months Potter, I’ve been waiting around for you!” he said, continuing to beat up on Harry. “And you decide _now_ to ask me out?”

Harry let out a nervous laugh. “Better late than never?”

“I am going to kill you!”

“So, is it a yes then? To the date, I mean?”

“Bloody hell, yes it’s a yes you complete and utter wanker! You’re such a freaking tosser! I’ve only been waiting for you to ask me!”

“I told you I needed more hints,”

“More hints my arse! I literally called you irresistible and then rubbed on your chest in that robe shop! You told me to give you more hints, I was flirting with you non stop! And then you asked me to go to that stupid dance as _just friends_ and I thought that maybe, _just maybe_ you didn’t like me afterall. _Hints - That whole - Pointless - Speech! _” he said with even more smacks against Harry’s body.__

__Harry blushed, realizing his mistake. “Oh...I really am an idiot,”_ _

__“I am going to strangle you, you are such a freaking idiot!”_ _

__“I’m sorry!” Harry said, grabbing Draco’s hand mid punch, and pulling him closer. “But I promise to make it up to you,”_ _

__“I swear to Merlin Potter, if you _ever_ break my heart, I will-”_ _

__“I don’t want to know, and I’ll never have to find out,” Harry said, swiftly interrupting him. “Let me take you out. Next weekend for your birthday?” Draco looked like he wanted to continue arguing. “Please?”_ _

__“I expect lots of gifts!”_ _

__“Duly noted,”_ _

__“I want everything paid for!”_ _

__“I wouldn’t expect anything less,”_ _

__“I expect you to be on your best behaviour!”_ _

__“I think I can manage that one,”_ _

__Draco stared, glaring into Harry’s shimmering emerald eyes. “And you have to meet my mother first,”_ _

__“I would be delighted to do so,”_ _

__Draco was still breathing heavily, and Harry was afraid to let him go, lest he start attacking him again._ _

__“I am so mad at you,”_ _

__“I know,”_ _

__“You’re lucky I like you so much,”_ _

__“I sure am,”_ _

__“I really hate you,”_ _

__“Somehow I doubt that,”_ _

__“I also really want to kiss you,”_ _

__“By all means,” Harry said with a smile._ _

__Draco kicked him._ _

__“Ow! Draco!” he said, effectively letting go of the blond’s hands._ _

__“I will do no such thing!” Draco said. “I can’t even look at you right now, I’m so mad,” Draco said turning around. “I’ll owl you with the details of our date,”_ _

__“I’ll be waiting,”_ _

__“I’m going to go finish packing,” Draco said, storming off, not even turning back around. “Stupid Gryffindor,” he was muttering on his way inside the castle. _“Stupid, stupid, stupid!”__ _

__Harry took a deep breath, feeling both relieved and terrified at the same time. He supposed he should go find Ron and Hermione, lest Draco decides to tell the whole school how much of an idiot he is. As he exited out of the courtyard, in search of his friends, he couldn’t stop smiling. Draco Malfoy was something else, but was Harry was ready for the challenge._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a second part to this, so be on the lookout for it :)


End file.
